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In this in-depth route guide, you'll find the best ways to travel the 140 kilometre distance from Ella to Kandy. Whether you prefer the scenic overnight train, a convenient bus+ferry combo, or the fastest flight option — we've got all the details you need.
There are 4 ways to get from Ella to Kandy. You can choose between the bus, train*, minivan, taxi. The most affordable option is by bus, starting from $5. The fastest route is by minivan (3h 30m).
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3h 30m
$33
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4h
$71
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5h
$5
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7h
$15
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There are very few direct intercity buses operating from Ella to Kandy. The few ones are ordinary buses that often get stuck in traffic and make too many stops along the way.
For these reasons, we recommend travelling with Brown Tours for this route. They offer 1 trip from Ella to Kandy daily. They use tourist buses, so you can expect them to be air-conditioned with reclining seats, good legroom, and charging sockets.
Travel time with the tourist bus is around 5 hours and a ticket costs $5. It’s quite expensive, but much better than standing on the train for 6 hours. You can easily reserve a bus seat through BookAway. Just click the link below.
*Important Update: The last time we checked (March 2026), the Ella to Kandy train route was still not fully operational following the railway disruption caused by Cyclone Ditwah. We recommend travelling to Ella by minivan or private car instead.
The train journey from Ella to Kandy is among the most beautiful in the world, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself with a lot of competition at the train station. This is going to be a very busy journey, with both locals and tourists trying to get a seat.
This is why we highly recommend booking a train ticket online, and you have to do that at least one month before your trip. Tickets for this route sell out really fast, and you’ll want to buy them before other travel agencies do.
If you miss that deadline, you can still try to buy reserved tickets at the train station even a few days before your trip, but don’t get your hopes up.
Although more expensive than local rates, online booking is your best bet for good train seats. Tickets start at $15 when you book via BookAway.
Trains depart from Ella Railway Station and arrive at Kandy Railway Station, both located in the city centre.
PRO TIP: This route is beautiful anywhere you look, but if you are free in choosing which side to sit, go for the left side when travelling from Ella to Kandy.
ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION
Kandy is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. Nestled on a plateau surrounded by misty hills and tea plantations, it is home to the Temple of the Tooth, one of the most important Buddhist sites in the country.
Also called the "Sacred City," people often stop with just the Temple of the Tooth when planning what to do in Kandy. But there are a few other places we recommend: like the World Buddhist Museum, Kandy Lake and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Taking a shared tourist minivan from Ella to Kandy costs about $33, with the journey lasting around 3h 30m - 5h, depending on traffic.
Magical Sri Lanka and Tuktukdude Leisure runs this route and makes things easy by offering free hotel pickup and drop-off — no need to stress about finding your way to busy bus or train stations.
The best part? The minivan stops at several must-see tourist spots for 5 to 20 minutes each, so you can snap some photos and enjoy the views.
Here are the highlights:
The taxi is the most expensive yet quickest way to reach Ella to Kandy. You can rent one via BookAway for .
You also have an option to book with Uber from 10,000 LKR, but we can’t guarantee their availability in Ella. Other options with possibly cheaper rates are PickMe and TaxiGo, although they also have very limited availability outside the capital city, Colombo.
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Carbon Footprint
This 140 km journey produces approximately 12 g CO2 by bus. Taking public transport is one of the lowest-emission ways to travel this route.
Used the Songserm ferry from Koh Samui. Cheaper than Lomprayah but takes a bit longer. Still a perfectly fine crossing. The views approaching Koh Tao are stunning either way.
OOliver S.November 2025Ferry
Train via Surat Thani was our pick. More scenic than Chumphon route and the Lomprayah catamaran from Tapee Pier is very comfortable. Book the special express train for the quickest ride.
The overnight bus with Montanatip was okay but not great. The bus was older and the seats didn't recline much. Ferry portion was fine though. If you're on a tight budget it works.
Took the sleeper train to Chumphon — magical! Woke up to palm trees and transferred to the Lomprayah catamaran. Whole journey felt like an adventure.
Lomprayah bus+ferry combo from Khao San Road was seamless. Departed at 6am, arrived Koh Tao by 3pm. Well organized.
Flew to Koh Samui and took Lomprayah catamaran. More expensive but saved a full day. Worth it if your holiday is short.
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Most travelers base themselves near the main beach for easy access to transport, restaurants, and activities.
Popular budget resort with pool, located on Sairee Beach. Walking distance to dive shops and restaurants.
800 THB/night ($24)
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2,200 THB/night ($66)
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